It was all Kurt could do not to let his temper rise. “You thought I took naps at five in the afternoon?”
“I have no idea how you run your house. Hell, after hardly saying more than hello to me, Sam went upstairs and fell asleep.”
“He’s in high school. He’d sleep all day if you let him.” Kurt also knew that he’d been up the night before studying for two exams and writing a paper. “Anyway, sorry I was gone. I thought you were watching TV in your room. I ran out to get some milk and eggs and bread.”
“You get some decent milk?”
Luckily, he had. “Yeah. Whole milk. Just the way you like it.”
“You didn’t have to go out special for me.” But still he sounded pleased.
“You’re my dad. It’s never trouble.”
That honesty seemed to take him aback. Or maybe it was the fact that his father never responded in kind. He bent his head and took a sip of the coffee he must have just brewed. “Hope you or Sam still likes whole milk, seeing as how I’m leaving in the morning.”
“You sure you’re ready to go?”
“Yeah. This ain’t my home.” Looking around the kitchen his voice lowered. “Sometimes I can’t figure out why it’s yours. It doesn’t seem right, both my sons living away from me.”
Though he’d just gone over everything with Emily, Kurt’s conscience still pinched. “Dad, you know Sam and I are glad to see you. But I’ve had the feeling that there is another reason why you came out here. Do you think you’re ready to tell me yet?”
“Actually, there is something I wanted to tell you in person. I wanted to tell Sam at the same time, too, but maybe it’s just as well that it’s just the two of us.”
“Well, don’t make me wait any longer. What is it?”
Suddenly looking pleased as punch, his father grinned. “Here it is. We got some good news back in Spartan. Word’s out that they’re going to reopen the mine.”
“Really?” he asked, floored. “I never thought that would happen. I thought with all the new regulations, most of the mines were closing.”
“I guess the president is making good on his campaign promises.”
Kurt was struggling. Part of him wanted to state the obvious, that the days of men making a good living in the mines was a thing of the past. That his father should be thankful that he’d gotten out with his health and any type of retirement package. That he should be looking forward, not behind.
But Kurt’s heart was thinking another story. For the first time in months his father looked hopeful. He was excited about working again. Excited to have his pride back.
Who was he to try to squash that?
“What are you going to do?” he asked at last. Keeping his voice even, he added, “You going to try to go back to work?”
“You bet I am. I headed up a crew for eight years. I could do it again. There’s a lot I can show to some of the young pups.”
“That’s great, Dad.” Well, it was great for his dad, if the rumors were even true.
It wasn’t great for his health or for Kurt and Sam, though. They’d worry about him, just like Kurt had for most of his life. It wasn’t that the mines weren’t safe, it was that there was a large propensity for accidents and for unsafe things to happen—especially for a man in his fifties. Fifty wasn’t that old, but mining was a young person’s job. “If they offer you a job and you want to go back, I’m happy for you.”
A touch of the light that had been shining in his father’s eyes dimmed before he visibly straightened. “This is a good thing, Son. A great thing for our town.”
“It is.” There was no denying that.
He took another sip of coffee. “That’s why I wanted to drive here and tell you and Sam in person. It was too big of news to tell you over the phone.”
“Yeah.” He turned away. Poured himself more coffee. Tried not to focus on the fact that his dad hadn’t come to see him or Bridgeport. Or, the hardest news to swallow. That he hadn’t been so worried about Sam that he’d come to see him.
“So, what do you think?”
Kurt turned around again. “I just told you. If that’s what you want, I’m happy for you.”
“No,” he said impatiently. “About coming back.”
Kurt set his cup down. “I’ve got my business here. I bought this house. I can’t leave Bridgeport.”
“Your business is barely off the ground. You can sell the equipment and the house, too. Why, probably make a profit. Then, with my seniority, I could get you on at the mine. You’d be set.”
There was no way that was happening. “Dad, even if I wanted to do that—which I don’t—you’re forgetting something. I moved here for Sam. He’s been working hard. Real hard. You know that.”
“If that boy is as smart as everyone says he is, he’ll finish high school back in Spartan and be just fine.”
Remembering Emily’s sweet words of wisdom, Kurt shook his head. “No, he won’t. Moving here has been hard on him. It turns out that as good as the school was back in Spartan, he’s got some gaps. Too many to do well in college. Sam’s even been getting tutored some to make sure he’s ready for the scholarship applications.”
“The boy’s been having to get tutored? Who’s paying for that?”
“I am.”
“You’re probably wasting your money, Son. I mean, if Sam is having to get spoon-fed, he’s obviously not as smart as he’s been telling us. He needs to come on home.”
“And do what?” he asked sarcastically. “Hope he gets a ride to a local community college for a couple of years?”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Shoot, it’s more than either of us had.”
Kurt didn’t want to argue anymore. Didn’t want to discuss things that weren’t going to happen. All it was doing was making him want to start yelling. “I’m not going back to West Virginia. Neither is Sam.”
“He needs to. Living here is obviously not working out.”
“It is. He needs to stick this out. He made this decision. You were there.”
“You encouraged it. He wouldn’t have come here if you wouldn’t have pushed it.”
All of his good intentions flew out the window. “Hell no, he wouldn’t have come to Bridgeport if I hadn’t pushed it, because you didn’t even want to talk to the school about him. You didn’t want to listen to the counselor’s advice. You didn’t want to do a thing for him.”
“That’s because there was no reason for him to go getting airs.”
“Getting airs?”
His father waved a hand. “I’ve looked around. It’s fancy here. Far too high-class for the likes of you. Sam, too. He doesn’t belong here.”
Kurt shrugged off the insult. He knew he wasn’t anything all that special—just a normal guy who was trying to do right by his brother. But hearing his father put down Sam? It riled him up like nobody’s business. “That’s where you’re wrong,” he retorted. “Sam fits in just fine around here. He’s made friends. He’s got a girlfriend, too.”
“She’s going to soon want something more, Kurt. She’s going to want someone else.”
“Who? Like a man with a college education?”
“Someone with money. Someone whose brother was something better than rich people’s lawn boy.”
Kurt didn’t want to admit it, but his father’s words cut like a knife. All at once he realized that his father hadn’t really listened to his dreams about his landscaping business. Hadn’t wanted to understand that his company was already handling some corporate jobs. That he’d had to hire more guys. That he’d done a lot of things that his father should be proud about.
He’d never listened.
Exhaling, he forced himself to say the words one more time. “I’m not going to West Virginia. I’m not going back. Sam needs to stay here, too.”
“Don’t you see that yo
u’re trying to make that boy follow your dreams? You want him to achieve the things that you were never capable of.”
Boy, that hurt. “Maybe Sam is. Maybe I really did want to go to college. Maybe I did want to have someone help me get out of that town. Maybe I would’ve given almost everything I had to have someone believe in me like I believe in him.”
“You aren’t him, though. If you aren’t going to do what’s right, I’m going to ask Sam to do it.”
“Dad—”
“Let’s get one thing straight,” his father interrupted, his voice hard and filled with a mixture of impatience and contempt. “As much as you might like to pretend otherwise, you aren’t Sam’s father. I am.”
“Yes, sir,” Kurt said through gritted teeth.
“I might have given you some rights, but you are not his parent. You certainly weren’t around when he was just a kid and was crawling on his hands and knees.”
“No, sir.” Each word felt bitter in his mouth.
But, as hard as it was to hear, he couldn’t deny it. His father was right. He definitely had not been around when his brother was a baby. But what he also knew as clear as day was that his father hadn’t been around, either. He’d been working in the mines or sleeping or hanging out with his buddies watching sports. Mom had been the one who had raised them both.
“I’m glad you finally understand. I know what’s best for Sam. Not you.”
“No, you don’t,” Sam said from the doorway.
Kurt whirled around. “Sam. I thought you were still asleep.”
Pure pain was etched in his little brother’s face. “Nope.” Straightening his shoulders, he faced their father. “What were you talking about?”
Before Kurt could speak, their father walked toward him. “There are rumors that the mine is going to start up again. I’ll be going back to work.”
“Oh.” After darting a look at Kurt, Sam smiled. “That’s real good, Dad.”
Some of the tension in the air dissipated. “I thought so, too. It’s real good. ’Cause I’m telling you what. Once I start getting a steady paycheck again, things are going to be different for us.”
Sam froze. “What do you mean, ‘for us’?” He darted another look in Kurt’s direction before staring at his father.
“I mean that it’s time for you to come on home.”
His brother shook his head. “No. No, way.”
“As hard as it is to hear, you need to remember who you are.” Their father’s voice lowered. “What you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kurt stepped forward, “Sam, don’t worry. I’ll take care of this.”
“No.” He straightened up. “I mean, we’re talking about me, right?”
Kurt swallowed. Feeling choked up, he nodded.
His jaw jutted out. “Then I have a right to know. And to say something about it.”
Kurt’s heart broke for the kid. Both for what their father was saying to him, and what it was doing to Sam. Right before his eyes, Kurt was watching the last of the adoration that his little brother had felt for their father get stripped away. In its place was the knowledge that their dad had faults.
Maybe it was time. After all, Sam wasn’t a kid anymore. He was on the edge of manhood. He was having to make grown-up decisions and those choices were going to influence the rest of his life.
He raised his hands in acknowledgment. “You’re right.”
“Dad?” Sam finally said. “What did you mean when you said, ‘what’ I am?”
“It meant exactly what you thought it did. You don’t belong here in Bridgeport. You don’t belong in that school. You need to get on home.” His voice softened, sounding almost upbeat. “You need to move back home, get back to your friends.”
“But what about those test scores?”
“You don’t really think a bunch of fancy government tests really mean all that much, do you?”
For a minute, Sam’s whole persona deflated. Kurt realized then that had happened to him, too. Back when he wasn’t talented enough or smart enough to get a free ride into college, their father had made sure that his dreams evaporated. He’d made Kurt feel that since he wasn’t Troy, he wasn’t college material. Kurt had believed him, too.
It was only now that he realized that he could have still gone to college. Oh, he would have had to pay, and get loans, but he could’ve done it if he’d wanted to.
But he hadn’t thought he was smart enough to deserve that option.
Sam turned to him. “What do you think, Kurt?”
“I think you are the smartest man to come out of Spartan in years. I think it would be a shame not to do whatever you can to see where that brain of yours can take you.”
“D … do you mean it?”
“I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t,” he said, feeling like his heart was in every word. “But listen, it isn’t just me who thinks this. All those teachers back in Spartan did, too. Miss Springer is your advisor and she says you’re brilliant. You’re going to be somebody special one day. I promise.”
Their father scoffed. “Pretending that all your hopes and dreams can come true ain’t no way to live, boys.”
“I’m staying, Dad,” Sam said. “I’ve got to see what’s going to happen. Life’s good here.”
“Because of that school or your girl?”
“Because of both.”
“If you don’t come home, you’re going to regret it.”
“Yeah. I might. But I know I’ll regret everything if I go back. Now, I’m out of here.”
“Where you going?” Dad called out.
“Out. Bye.”
Kurt leaned back and let Sam go, knowing he could text him later to see how he was doing.
“So that’s how it’s going to go,” his dad said. “Can’t say I’m real proud of you right now, Kurt.”
For all his life he’d held his tongue, but the bitterness and disappointment burned so deep, he said exactly what was on his mind. “I’m sure as hell not proud of you right now, either. So maybe we’re both screwed, Dad,” he snapped before walking out to the back deck.
Breathing in the scent of the clean air with just a hint of a fall breeze in it, Kurt knew he’d just done the right thing.
But damn, had it been hard to do.
CHAPTER 31
“Poker is like life, most people don’t learn from their mistakes, they only recognize them.”
—C. Arel
Sam felt like a wuss, but he didn’t care. All he knew was that if he didn’t see Kayla right away and talk things over with her, he was going to ram his fist through a window or something.
It was either that or start crying like a baby.
He felt like such a selfish jerk. All his life, he’d taken his place in the family for granted. His mom had been so proud of him. She’d sat by his side at parent-teacher conferences and while it hadn’t been her way to be real demonstrative in front of other people, there’d been a solid feeling of satisfaction coming from her so strongly that Sam could practically feel it.
Those nights, after they’d got back in the car, she’d reach for his hand and squeeze it gently. “You’ve done us real proud, Samuel,” she’d say. “Real proud.”
And he’d sit there and beam inside, like he’d done something pretty fantastic to deserve the praise.
But now he realized that he’d only been coasting. God had given him a really good brain and he’d taken it for granted. He’d never thought once about how Kurt had never been treated like that. Or how their father had given up so many dreams and filled up those gaps with bitterness and disappointment.
But even after his mom had died, he’d been sure his dad had been proud of him, too. But it turned out that it didn’t matter what kind of grades he’d gotten or scores he’d achieved, Dad hadn’t b
een on the same page.
When he got to Kayla’s house, Ms. Everett opened the door right away. “Hey, Sam. I didn’t know you were coming by today.”
“I texted Kayla. She said it was okay if I came over. Is that all right?”
“Of course it is.” Opening the door wider, she stepped back to allow him entrance. “She’s in her room.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Sam stuffed his hands in his back pockets and prepared to wait. He knew from his previous visits that her mother liked them out in the open when he came over. He’d always thought it was kind of funny, because if he was going to try something with Kay, it sure wasn’t going to be at her house with her mother in the next room.
“You know what? I think you should maybe go on back and see her there.”
He was pretty sure his eyes had just bugged out of his head. “Ma’am?”
“She’s had a pretty tough day, I’m afraid. I trust you with her, which is why I’m hoping if the two of you have some privacy, you might be able to get her to open up to you some more.” Ms. Everett sighed. “Garrett Condon struck again.”
Rage flew through him, burning his insides. “What did he do?”
“I’ll let her tell you about it. I already called his parents, but Mrs. Condon hardly gave me the time of day.” She shook her head. “I swear she thinks she puts her pants on differently than the rest of us poor souls.”
He forced himself to unclench his hands. “Can I go see Kayla now?”
“She’s the second door on the right.”
He paused, feeling like an idiot but also feeling like he needed to say something. “I really like her, Ms. Everett. I … well, I just wanted you to know that.”
Reaching out, she squeezed his shoulder. “I know you do, honey. I just hope you can help her feel better.”
Kayla, her mom, and her sister lived in a townhouse. It was about the same size as his house, but it was a rental. Everything about it screamed beige. It was all kind of cheap-looking, too. The first door on the right was open and it was obviously her sister’s room. Across the way was a bathroom.
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